Chicken is at RD$55 a pound, plantains are RD$20 each, a pound of onions costs RD$70 and oil is RD$60. Other products that have also increased in price include chocolate, sugar, coffee and yoghurt that were all affected by the increase in sales tax (ITBIS) as established by the 2012 tax law. Some less than scrupulous shopkeepers are also using the 3% increase to hike the prices on other unaffected goods as well.
A couple of weeks before Christmas, a pound of chicken cost between RD$42 and RD$45. By Christmas Eve it was at RD$50 and now most places are charging around RD$55.
The wholesalers say that a quintal of chicken has gone up by RD$200 and they are simply passing the price hike on to the consumers.
As far as plantains are concerned, most shopkeepers are selling them between RD$14 and RD$20, depending on where they are from. Plantains from Barahona are around RD$2 more than those from the Cibao area. Wholesalers say that in December the number of plantains available decreases and this is what leads to the price increase. The price should return to normal within a couple of months.
The price of cooking oil has increased due to speculation by the sellers, and no one has ever seen the price of onions so high, now ranging from RD$50 to RD$70 a pound.